Think discovering a new species is rare? Think again. UCR entomologist and show co-host Doug Yanega reveals why naming a new insect might be easier than spotting a squirrel — and how deserts, microhabitats, and UV lights make all the difference. Come for the science. Stay for the midnight bug trapping in the mountains.
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31:54
Ep. 28: Inspector Maggot
What can a fly tell us about a crime scene? In this episode, UC Riverside entomologist Alec Gerry explains how insects can help investigators reconstruct what really happened when a person or an animal has died under suspicious circumstances. Learn how forensic entomology turns life cycles into timelines — and maggots into expert witnesses.
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33:09
Ep. 27: Buzzards of the barnyard
Not all villains wear capes—some have wings and a taste for cows. We talk to a fly expert who’s taking the bite out of barnyard pests.
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30:45
Ep. 26: The itch that isn't
Only two kinds of insects are known to invade living human bodies: the mites that cause scabies, and lice. Despite this, there are people convinced their skin is infested with all manner of small insects. And the impacts of their imagined infestations are very real. Discussing this condition on today's episode is University of Georgia entomology professor Nancy Hinkle.
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29:13
Ep. 25: Flies wide shut
The massive California fruit fly infestation of 2023 has been effectively shut down. UCR entomologist Bodil Cass joins the podcast to tell us how they did it, why it was such a problem in the first place, and how each of us can help prevent it from coming back.
A twice-monthly deep dive into the sometimes creepy but mostly fascinating world of insects with one of the world's foremost experts on the topic, UC Riverside entomologist Dr. Doug Yanega.
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